


Get Him To Safety

by pidgance



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Multi, Slow Burn, Sorta like a Zombie AU but not a Zombie AU, will update tags as I go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-11 16:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7899763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pidgance/pseuds/pidgance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been seven hours since he'd bludgeoned open the back of a titan's head with his favourite baseball bat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They've been walking for hours, or what feels like hours.

The damp squelch of mud and crunch of leaves is all but a background noise to their ears as they continue onwards. One stiff muscled step at a time. There's been no breaks, no quiet whispers of plans on where to go or what to do. Just walking. Walking for miles upon miles without break.

A glance at his phone, which illuminates their dark surroundings, tells him it's been over seven hours.

Seven hours since he'd bludgeoned open the back of a titan's head with his favourite baseball bat. He'd discarded it at the scene, splintered in half and covered in thick red blood.

Seven hours since Mikasa had hefted Armin up into her arms. Trembling fingers clutching at the back of his neck and her gentle voice desperately attempting to reassure him that it's ok. As long as we have each other it's always going to be okay. 

Even now the faint sniffle or whimper still comes from the blonde boy. In the dark the stain of blood on his clothes looks black. It makes Eren's stomach coil in disgust. If they'd been a minute late, perhaps even a mere second, god knows what would've become of his best friend.

Mikasa has Armin over her back, strong arms supporting his thighs whilst his arms are slung over her shoulders as he holds himself up. She's refused to put him down since they started their march. He doubts she'll put him down until her legs give in.

After two more hours of idle trekking they do stop. When Mikasa stumbles and Armin slips down onto a mossy patch of ground they decide it's best to rest for a few hours. Mikasa is reluctant, that's a given. She's always been stubborn but she grants Eren his wish regardless.

They locate a tree, large with spiralling branches and roots. Eren supports Armin as he limps his way towards the base and settles in between the cold wood. Mikasa watches them both silently before dragging herself up into a low-hanging branch.

“I'll take first watch,” she says, pulling her phone from the pocket of her jacket and switching on the torch, “You two get some sleep.”

The light reflects off of the wet branches of the forest, making it seem endless and that much eerier. Eren's too tired to protest. He settles down beside Armin in the nook of the trunk, cradling his arm behind the boy's head.

Armin grumbles something, reaching his hand to grasp in the fabric of Eren's shirt.  
“Thank you,” he mumbles from pursed lips, shutting his eyes and taking in shallow breathes which make his whole body shudder next to him.

Eren moves his hand, lacing his fingers into the delicate hairs at the base of Armin's neck. His hand stops when it comes to a clump of blood, thick and dry. He pushes through it.  
It crumbles away and sticks to the side of his fingers. He ignores the sensation, focusing on repeating the soothing gesture until the boy in his arms breathing evens and he's certain he's deep in sleep. His eyes become heavy as well and he finds himself drifting somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. 

It's when a crunch of leaves sounds to the left of their make-shift camp that he's startled awake.

Mikasa is asleep, he can make out the throaty breaths of her snoring. Reluctantly he moves himself away from Armin, reaching up to slip the phone out of Mikasa's grasp, the torch still blaring brightly. 

He sees nothing at first, not until there's a faint movement he spots just out of the corner of his eyes. He treads lightly, sweeping down to grasp up a fallen branch, heavy in his hands but a suitable enough weapon in the event of an ambush.

The titan stands in a clearing, scratching its hands over one of the trees repeatedly until blood starts to streak the trunk. It's close enough for him to hear the grunts it makes as it continues it's pointless activity. It's not as small as the one that made it's way into Armin's house. It's at least a foot taller, sharp fanged and red eyed.

Eren inhales deeply, lungs pulling in the icy air, and tucks the makeshift torch into the pocket of his jeans, getting a better hold of the branch. 

He sprints, lungs heaving as he leaps into the air and brings the weapon down with a crack of bone and wood. They fall to the ground, both him and the titan. He brings the branch down. Again and again and again, until the titan's head is nothing but a thick mush of blood, flesh and bone on the ground before him. 

With the back of his hand he rubs at the blood splatter on his cheeks, smearing it across his skin. He rises to his feet, breathing heavily and letting his grip on the branch fall.

Silently he makes his way back to the others. The only noise he audibly makes are the exhausted pants that leave him at irregular periods. The tree comes back into view, as does Armin, sitting up and blinking at him in the dark.

“Eren?” he calls quietly, voice cautious to the fact that it could always possibly be an intruder nowadays.

“Armin,” Eren replies, slipping back down beside him, “Did I wake you?”

Armin's head shakes slightly and he worms back up to the warmth of his friend, hand back at his shirt and his face pressed into his side. Eren sucks in a breath, tracing his fingers over Armin's jacket and down the curve of his spine.

“I was just worried,” the smaller boy mumbles into cotton, “Where'd you go?”

“Thought I heard something,” Eren lies, “It was nothing. You should go back to sleep. Chances are there's still a long way to walk ahead. And if we encounter any titan's I'll need you to hide. Or run. I won't let you get hurt anymore, not after today.”

Armin stiffens in his arms, pulling back and looking up at him.

“I can defend myself,” he says, “I don't want you and Mikasa putting your lives on the line for me again. For once I want to be the one to save you.”

“You and Mikasa are both so stubborn,” Eren breathes out a laugh, petting the top of Armin's head, “But telling me not to protect you is like putting a roast dinner in front of a starving man and telling him not to eat.”

“I'm sorry I'm so pathetic,” he hears Armin whisper, the words making his stomach sink.

“You're not pathetic,” he desperately wants to say, the words sitting dry on the tip of his tongue, “I'm only alive by default. I don't even have a reason to live without you or Mikasa. I couldn't even save my own mother. I'm the pathetic one.”

He can't say it though and he ends up sitting there silently until the leaves on the tree turn from grey to green and light glints down onto the forest floor through the cracks on the trees. And a woman with strawberry blonde hair and gun in her hands walks out of the undergrowth before them and the only thing he can do is stare at her in fear as he shakes Armin awake and hears the sound of Mikasa stirring above them.


	2. Chapter 2

They're forced to kneel in a line, hands above their heads as more soldiers appear from the treeline surrounding them. The action is strenuous on Armin, re-opening his wound. Eren has to try everything in his power not to cling onto his best friend in an attempt to soothe away the pain each time he groans or winces. The red staining his clothes is so much clearer in the daylight. It feels like Eren's guts have been pulled up an out of his throat at the sight, he wants to hurl so badly.

A man appears beside the first soldier to have cornered them. His hair is dark black, parted down the middle, he's not much taller than his companion and his brows sit etched in a frown above his intense grey eyes. Eren gulps.

“Kids? Huh?” the man says, crossing his arms across his chest.

Something, which looks vaguely like a medal of honor on his uniform chest pocket flashes in the sunlight as he moves.

“We found a deceased titan not far from here,” the female soldier beside him reports, “Head smashed in with a blunt object it would appear.”

Eren can feel both Armin and Mikasa's gaze on him.

The man, the one in charge he must presume, arches his left eyebrow as he glances at the three teenagers helplessly knelt before him. He turns back to his subordinate.

“You're telling me one of these brats must have dealt with it?”

His subordinate nods, opening her mouth to say something. He lifts a hand, stopping her and turning to the trio.

“What are you three doing this far out into the woods?” the man asks.

They're all silent for a second. Mikasa speaks up.

“Looking for somewhere safe to rest,” she answers, “Our friend is injured. He needs medical attention.”

Their captor's eyes skim over Armin, the sheen of sweat on his forehead and his laboured breaths make his pain evident.

“Indeed he does,” the man replies.

He turns to his officers, tilting his head up in some form of signal that they can lower their weapons. The soldiers do so and the trio take it also as a signal they can lower their hands. Eren is back by Armin's side as he sinks in towards the ground with a strained huff.

“Captain Levi of the Scouting Legion,” the man introduces himself to them, “There's a royal military refugee base nearby. We can get you friend medical treatment and get you kids a bed for the night.”

The Captain looks over to his officers, giving them a nod. One of them steps forward, the woman who had found them. She has her gun slung back over her shoulder and a meek smile over her face.

Eren watches behind her as Captain Levi approaches the rest of his squadron, frowning at them as he appears to explain the situation.

“I'm Petra. Petra Ral,” the woman says in greeting, kneeling down in front of Eren and Armin as Mikasa moves over to them still on the defense, “Sorry for pointing a gun at you earlier.”

Armin, despite still probably being in extreme agony manages a reassuring smile at her. His way of telling her it's alright.

“Mind if I check your wound?” Petra asks Armin, though the question is obviously mostly aimed at Mikasa who is glaring daggers at her.

Armin manages a miniscule nod of his head and Eren helps him lean back until he's lying flat on the mossy ground.

Petra's hands hover in the air for a moment before gently putting pressure onto an area of Armin's torso. The blonde boy winces and she pulls her hand back, registering the point of stress. She presses down a few more times, taking in the subjects reaction.

Throughout the entire procedure Armin is silent, eyes squeezed shut and hand clamped in Eren's.

“The best I can do,” Petra explains after she's unbuttoned Armin's shirt and taken in the sight of the depth of the wound across his torso, “Is bind the wound so it can't open any further. It might hurt to move due to the bruising around the opening as well as the possibility of broken ribs, and I'm also afraid we have nothing we can sterilize the wound with. But if he looses anymore blood before we get back to the base his condition could very well turn critical.”

Mikasa and Eren share a look, Armin stays silent in between them. Mikasa bobs her head in a nod of approval. Eyes flicking up to meet Petra's with a steely determination.

“Do what you have to do,” Mikasa says.

Eren's eyes echo Mikasa's determination and he stays by Armin's side, gripping his hand so hard it probably hurts.

Petra nods at them, gesturing for them to stay put as she makes her way over to a supply cart that had been pulled into the clearing sometime whilst they had been examining Armin's.

“See,” Eren says as he squeezes Armin's hand in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture, “You'll make it through this. You'll be alright.”

“Heh,” is all Armin responds with before Petra returns with a roll of bandages and Captain Levi in tow.

The man doesn't even spare a glance down at the injured boy, instead staring coldly at Eren and Mikasa. He doesn't even wince when Armin cries out in pain as Petra tries to manoeuvre the boy's body as to apply the bandages more easily.

“I don't care where you're from or why you're here,” Captain Levi tells them, causing Mikasa to frown at him in contempt, “But you two will need to talk to Commander Smith when we get to the base. Understand?”

“We're not leaving Armin,” Mikasa replies, voice as cold as the colour of her eyes.

Levi raises his eyebrows at her. He crouches down beside Petra, maintaining eye-contact with the pair the entire time as he placed his hand over his subordinates and pushed down. Armin yelped out at the sudden pressure.

“I said. **Do. you. understand**?” the man repeats.

Mikasa likely would've leapt over their friend and started beating the Captain half to death if Eren hadn't put an arm out to stop her.

“Understood,” Eren answers.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoo boy


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya this is erwin's pov bc ya

It's the eleventh time he's paced the length of his room since he returned to it a mere thirty minutes ago. He was told half-heartedly by his men to get some rest, knowing full well that he wouldn't. There's strategy plans strewn all over his desk, bed and floor, all of which are itching to be revised and rewritten.

For the first time in his life however Erwin Smith is at a loss.

They've been sticking to the same strategies for several months now. At first they'd shown results, but slowly those results had dwindled. And now they needed a new strategy. Something that would rally and excite to troops but also be effective against the titans. With little resources and funding however there wasn't much the Scouting Legion could do.

Erwin sighs, taking a seat behind his desk and rubbing the heels of his hands over his eyes until his vision swirls with colours.

“Can't we just blow them all up?” Hanji had suggested unhelpfully at the last squad leader meeting, “You know, bombs, bazookas, any explosives we can get out hands on. KABOOM!”

Erwin had looked over at Levi who had merely raised an arched brow. In theory Hanji's method would work, the only problem was the collateral damage to cities, and the residents. Not that Erwin particularly gave a shit about the humans populating highly infested areas. It was their fault for not being smart enough to get out of there when the first wave of titans hit.

Thinking back to the meeting now Erwin wishes he had just agreed to Hanji's plan. He's sure he would be able to get the people he cared about safely into a bunker underground before the whole world got blown to oblivion.

He stands up from his desk again, ready to pace some more when something out of the window catches his eye.

Levi and his squad appear to be returning from their patrol. This time with three captors in tow, one of whom is practically dripping blood as they are piggy backed through the camp. Titan run in, he'd assume for now.

He rolls his shoulders forward, making his way over to the door. He might as well greet Levi, ask him who the kids where, why they've been dragged back to base. Instinct told him it hadn't been Levi's idea to bring the teenagers back with them. The captain had probably been persuaded. Most likely by Petra.

Erwin makes his way along the corridor of the barracks before heading down the stairs and out the door to the back. From what he'd seen they'd been heading towards the infirmary. He figures he can cut them off in their journey. He thinks right.

“Levi!” Erwin calls as he walks towards the smaller man.

The Captain looks towards him, dark bags shadowing his eyes and deep creases between his brows. He visibly frowns more when he sees his superior.

“What do you want?” Levi asks, waving a hand at his squad as a signal to continue onwards to the infirmary, “Can't you see I'm busy? Go bother someone else.”

Erwin can't help but chuckle at the moody pout Levi gives him.

“Who are the kids?” Erwin questions, ignoring Levi's annoyance.

Levi's shoulders droop slightly as he glances in the direction his squad, and the brats, had walked off in. He looks back over to Erwin, expression a tad bit softer.

“Petra found them asleep at the foot of a tree,” Levi explains, following Erwin as they walk towards the equipment station, “The girl put up a good fight, but the other two were harmless.”

“The girl's the wounded one I presume?” Erwin says.

Levi shakes his head. His shoulder's are stiff and he appears most exhausted than usual. Not that Erwin is any better off himself.

“That's the youngest. Armin. Their village, supposedly a safe haven was attacked. They all lost their family, they were running for their lives.”

“I see,” Erwin hums as he watches Levi shrug off his rifle and sling it up onto the peg it normally resides on, “We're treating the wounded one and then sending them on their way?”

It was barely noticeable but Levi's mouth twitches. Only Erwin, who had grown accustomed to watching the younger man, would notice it. He frowns at the sight. Levi turns back towards him, mirroring his senior's scowl.

“They could be useful,” Levi says, surprising Erwin, “We found a dead titan near where they had set up camp. None of them admitted to having killed it, but I doubt it just stumbled and happened to fall on a thick branch of wood... Numerous times.”

“So they're strong?” Erwin replies, “We have plenty of strong men already Levi, you of all people should know that.”

Levi stiffens slightly, lips pulling back into a pout before he continues talking.

“The other boy. His name is Eren Jaeger. I believe him to be a relative of Grisha Jaeger...”

Erwin was silent, eyebrows raising in surprise as Levi looks up at him, a fierce determination is locked in those steel grey eyes. There was something else, something hidden from him that he couldn't quite grasp.

So they were strong willed kids, one of whom who could have a strong connection to a key part in the entire existence of titans. Yes, they could be important, but Erwin was sure there were plenty of other kids with connections to the inside secrets of Sina. There was something else. Something unseen.

It wasn't uncommon of Levi to keep secrets from him, but usually he was better at hiding them.

“There's nothing else?” Erwin inquires with a sigh, Levi's eyes darken considerably, he is clearly getting tired of Erwin's sudden barrage of questions, “It's unlike you to be so insistent on taking in a couple of kids.”

“Sorry I'm not a stable constant in your life,  _Commander_ ,” Levi snipes back, “Is that all? I'd like to debrief my team. I'll bring the kids to you, I trust you'll hear them out at least?”

“If that's what you want.”

Levi nods, a single jolt of his head before he turns on his heel and heads back the way they came. Erwin can't help but let his eyes follow the retreating figure as he disappears amongst the crowds of other returning squadrons. He lets out a deep exhale, running his hand along the cropped hairs at the base of his neck before rolling his shoulders and deciding to return to his office.

He'll read over some letters from the higher-ups, he needs the distraction. Something is definitely up with his subordinate, but that can wait. It would be unprofessional of him to put his personal interests above the interests of humanity.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um so i dont know what i am doing and this is like the furthest ive ever gotten writing a fic but pretty much all ya need to know is imma be focusing a lot on the shiganshina trio relationship and also the erwin/levi relationship because these are the most important i feel ??? and like i deffo want to write more petra and hanji and i'm trying to slowly bring in more characters so expect the rest of the 104th trainees at some point (especially jean) and i hope u enjoy and constructive criticism is always welcome bc i'm a newb to fic writing !!! thnk u 4 reading!!!!!!!!!! :)))) <33333333333


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